Fidelitas
by AnimaticGirl
Summary: Amaniel was wanted as a magician's apprentice, unusually selected at the age of twelve. Avoiding the magician's clutches, he meets Kitty, a girl with big plans and a big grudge... May turn NatKitty


**Disclaimer: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, and all related trademarks, are the property of Jonathan Stroud. I just like using them to write stories.**

**A/N: Yay, Bartimaeus fic! Who knows where I'm going to find either time or inspiration for a Harry Potter, Bartimaeus AND Inkheart fic…or the stuff I've got in progress on Quizilla…but hey, I'll try. Might be worth noting that Amaniel is twelve, and that he's not intended to be assigned to the magician mentioned in this chapter. Oh, and there are reasons why he is wanted as an apprentice at such an age, but they're not gong to come out until later in the story. Please read and review! **

**Note on Latin: Fidelitas is the Latin word for "loyalty". So this fic is called "Loyalty". Except I put it in Latin. The chapter here is called "Fugio", which means to run away, flee or shun/avoid something. All my chapter headings are going to be in Latin. It's something I really felt like doing.**

Ani

**Fidelitas**

**Fugio**

**Amaniel**

"I can't _believe _you take his side over mine!" Amaniel was on his feel, staring incredulously at his stricken parents. Sitting on the couch next to them was a tall man, calmly sipping a cup of tea, seemingly oblivious to Amaniel's outburst. "You believe one of them over your own son? After what they've done to you? What kind of parents are you?"

"The kind that want the best for you, Amaniel," said the tall man quietly, laying down his cup. Amaniel's parents looked, if possible, even more apprehensive.

"The best for me?" Amaniel nearly laughed. He was beginning to feel hysterical, on the verge of either laughter or tears. "The _best_? Sending me away to work for some magician so I can become 'a worthy member of society'?"

The tall man regarded him impassively, in silence, for several moments. Then, he spoke, in a voice of deadly quiet. "You _will_ come with me, Amaniel. Or do you want to end up of the streets?"

Amaniel cast his parents a final, beseeching look. "Do you support this?" he asked desperately.

They exchanged nervous glances. "We want what's best for you, Amaniel-" said his mother shakily.

"You see?" The tall man got to his feet. "Now, please come with me…"

As he reached out a hand to grip Amaniel's arm, a sudden recklessness gripped the boy. Pulling violently away, he lashed out and caught the magician in the stomach. Turning, he bolted for the door, for freedom.

"ECSITES!" bellowed the magician, and despite himself Amaniel turned round. Curled on the floor was a repulsive…_thing_…that was vaguely reminiscent of a giant slug, oozing slime, but with barbs all along its body.

"A snake!" cried Amaniel's mother, and he glanced at her, surprised. That thing was no snake.

But there was no more time to ponder, the thing had launched itself off the ground and was hurtling towards him. In desperation, he raised an arm to protect himself- and though he felt the creature connect with his arm, he felt to pain. When he looked again, he saw it rolling across the floor away from him. He heard the magician cry out in shock. Before the creature had a chance to right itself and strike again, Amaniel had flung open the door, and disappeared into the night.

All he could think about was getting away. He was running, as far and as fast as he could away from his parents, the tall magician and the creature that had attacked him. There was a part of him that still didn't believe his parents had sided with a magician - a magician who had threatened and attacked him, no less!- over their own son. He shook his head angrily as he ran.

Eventually, he ran out of breath and collapsed against a wall in an unfamiliar part of London. He recalled the creature, and looked down at his arm where the it had made contact with him- there were tears in the material of his shirt but not a scratch on his arm. It had surprised the magician, that he had repelled the creature so easily, as well, so maybe this had something to do with the magicians wanting him so badly.

He slumped down the wall, trying to catch his breath, and all of a sudden he heard a savage, hungry barking.

Oh _hell._

The Night Police.

Sure enough, as the magician had assaulted him in his home, darkness had swept across London. Now, the Night Police were out, and he was certain they were after him. That meant that the tall magician must be powerful, and high up in the government- and it also meant that escaping him would be far, far more difficult that Amaniel had anticipated.

Fear gripped at him- he had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The Night Police were on his trail, along with god knows how many magicians and other creatures like the one he had repelled. They wanted to take him in, and shape him to be a magician. How was he supposed to feel privileged to be selected to become a magician's apprentice, when the very same people had turned his parents against him?

It had started while ago. The tall magician had approached Amaniel in the street and had set forth the offer, and asked the boy to come with him. Amaniel had refused, in no uncertain terms, and walked off. That was when the trouble started.

His parents were sacked from their jobs, and turned down whenever they applied for another. Amaniel had been suddenly expelled from his school on unfounded accusations, and soon, short of money and friends -now it had been realised that the family was being victimised- Amaniel and his parents began to fall short of money, and eventually, food. Then, that evening the magician had come o their house…and all hell had broken loose.

Following his thoughts through, Amaniel realised that, now his fear was quietly giving way into an accepted despair, his hunger was returning ten-fold. With no family, and no place to go, he would starve before long.

"Maybe I should just go with the magicians," he said, aloud.

"Oh no," said a voice behind him. "We can't have you doing that, not when you'd be _so_ useful to us."

Amaniel made to spin round, but someone clamped a mask over his face. Strange fumes filled his senses, a gas he had never heard of pressed into his lungs. His mind began to reel. He felt someone grabbing his hands and roughly binding them behind his back - as if with this mask on he was going to struggle. He heard two muffled voices, but he couldn't make out what they were saying…and then the world went black.


End file.
